when to milk?

[issy]

Hi all, I've been reading on BYH for awhile, but only just signed up tonight. You guys seem like a great crowd, and I was hoping you could give some advice.
I did a lot of research on goats before getting them. But the set up we ended up getting threw us about ten steps ahead of the program. We got a pair of kinder does already in milk and their two doelings.
Now, the doelings are 6 & 7 weeks old, and the previous owners didn't milk at all this season. I'm wanting to milk them, but I thought you were suppose to start at about three weeks. I know I've read to separate the kids from the mamas at night and milk in the morning, and let the kids nurse freely during the day. Ok. But how/when do you start milking twice a day?

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Congratulations on your new goats. I think you'll love the Kinders. There's really no hard and fast rules about when you can start milking your does. If they're lactating - anytime is a good time. You can start separating the babies at night right now and go ahead and start once a day milking. At 6 or 7 weeks old they're almost old enough to wean. When they're weaned you can start milking twice a day.

 

[rebelINny]

I rarely start milking my doe's more than once a day until their kids are weaned. You can start whenever you want.

 

[Pioneer Chicken]

I agree with the advice above. You can start separating the kids at night and milk in the morning. Once they're weaned, then milk them twice a day. I wean my Nigerian Dwarf kids between 8-12 weeks depending on the size and growth weight of the kid(s). I usually wean all my bucks at eight weeks old.